


Insomnia

by rainpuddles



Category: Wild Adapter
Genre: Community: springkink, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-04
Updated: 2010-03-04
Packaged: 2017-10-07 17:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainpuddles/pseuds/rainpuddles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kubota is away for a couple of days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insomnia

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of swearing! Written for [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/springkink/profile)[**springkink**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/springkink/) for the prompt _['sleepless nights - are you scared of the dark'](http://community.livejournal.com/springkink/779116.html)_. Much love goes to [](http://ankari.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**ankari**](http://ankari.dreamwidth.org/) for betaing!

It wasn't that he worried about Kubota's well-being or that he thought he wouldn't come back home. It didn't have anything to do with setting the table and waiting up for him to have dinner together, or to show him how he'd beaten his highest score in the new fighting game they'd gotten, either.

It was just that when Kubota wasn't home, he _couldn't sleep_, no matter what.

He had tried it the first few times; the apartment had been quiet and the bed felt a little too big. Instead of helping, it had only made him more aware of the small noises in the night. Whether it was a lonely drop plopping on the sink every few minutes, Shouta's parents next door having an argument, or a dog howling to the moon somewhere outside, it never failed to drive him up the walls.

So, after several nights of incessant tossing and turning without being able to fall asleep, he concluded that spending the night doing zapping or playing video games would be far more productive than staring at the ceiling or burying his face in a pillow that smelled like laundry detergent and tobacco.

Even nowadays, after having shared an apartment (and bed) with Kubota for over two years and having gotten somewhat used to his absences, it was still pretty much impossible for him to rest when Kubota wasn't around. Occasionally, his body would shut down on its own and Tokitoh would lose consciousness until the sunlight and the birds wouldn't let him sleep anymore. He hated when that happened, though, because Kubota would never wake him up and then he'd leave again for who-knows-how-many hours.

Now, thanks to that stupid quack, Kubota was going to be away for the entire weekend. Tokitoh remembered hearing somewhere about people becoming clinically insane after going without sleep for longer than three days. Lucky for him, it would only be two days ... but he still wasn't exactly thrilled at the situation.  


*****

  
The first day went by fast. Tokitoh decided he'd keep himself busy with the house chores and it had proved a great idea, because when he was finally done folding the laundry it was already dark outside. He wasn't in the mood to cook anymore, so he heated a cup of instant noodles in the microwave and collapsed on the couch to watch TV.

At around six in the morning, when he noticed it was no longer dark, he made his way into the kitchen and gulped down some milk straight from the carton. Then he put on his hoodie and headed outside. The weather was cold enough that Tokitoh could see his own breath when he yawned tiredly. It was probably only a matter of time before it started snowing.

His original plan had been to go to the 7-11 and stock on food for the day. Instead, he ended up walking around the neighborhood for over two hours, bumping against people who were obviously late for work, greeting the man from the takoyaki stand near the Mos Burger, scaring off the flocks of crows that he found pecking at the garbage every other block.

He had breakfast (chocolate milk and cookies) at the top of a slide at the playground. Then, completely ignoring his body's demands for rest, he walked to the arcade to waste more of his time and money there. By the time he got back home, he was no longer sleepy but still considerably bored, so he thought it wouldn't be bad idea to try cooking 'real food' for a change.

To his credit, he didn't burn anything. Sure, the kitchen was a complete mess, dirty dishes all piled up in the sink, vegetables and chicken scattered across the kitchen, and a mysterious, red splatter on the ceiling, but the food tasted good and for that he was proud.

His body started giving him signs that he should _really_ sleep, at this point. Skeptically, he crawled inside the bed (which still smelled like Kubota) and closed his eyes and waited. He tried different positions, completely burying himself under the blankets, and even that stupid breathing technique he'd heard Kou recommend to one of his customers once, yet nothing seemed to work. He'd start falling asleep, and then he'd just startle awake with his breathing hitched and his heart pounding in his chest. He figured it was a good thing he never actually remembered the nightmares... the bad thing was the fact that he still couldn't manage to get any sleep.

Defeated, he wrapped himself in a blanket and moved to the living room once again.

In the early morning of the third day, he received a text message from Kubota.

"Things became a little complicated, will most likely have to stay here for another night. Sorry."

He hadn't even finished reading it when he felt something start to swell up in his chest. He swore and flung the cellphone across the room causing it to split open into two. His eyes felt like burning, but he chose to blame it on the lack of sleep and the pain from kicking a Play Station controller with his bare foot.  


*****

  
The rest of the day passed in a blur. His fit of anger caused him to walk out without bringing his hoodie or any kind of coat, and he was only able to notice this when he felt a freezing, wet touch on his shoulder. It was starting to snow.

It was then, too, that he realized he had no idea where he was. He knew his plan had been to go to Kou's store and give him a piece (or twenty) of his mind for causing Kubota to be away for longer than he intended to, but somehow he'd ended up in the middle of nowhere.

He turned around to try and trace back his steps as people dedicated him all sorts of stares; his throat felt scratchy as he muttered a "fuck off" under his breath. When he arrived back home, the scratchiness had become so bad that he couldn't even swallow without hurting, which was a bit of a problem since he was starving.

He stumbled towards the couch, not sure if he had the energy to bother with food right now, and collapsed heavily on top of it. The sweat on his skin and the feeling of wooziness were clear signs that he had a fever, on top of it all. But he was too exhausted and aching to give a damn, so much that when he closed his eyes he immediately began drifting asleep. At last.

"Ahh, you're home. Welcome back." The voice jerked him back to reality and he looked around the room, disoriented. Kubota was coming from the kitchen. "I hope you saved some of what you made last night for-- Tokitoh?"

Tokitoh mumbled something as he sat up with some effort, although the comforting touch of Kubota's cold hand on his cheek made him smile.

"You're burning." Despite Kubota's tone being barely different from before, Tokitoh could still spot the concern in it.

"Thought you weren't comin' back 'till tomorrow."

"There was another change of plans." Kubota helped Tokitoh shift his position so he could sit next to him. "I called, but you didn't answer." He gestured towards the cellpohone that was still lying on the floor.

Tokitoh let his weight rest against Kubota and closed his eyes again.

"Tokitoh...?"

"'m tired," he replied, burrowing his face in the space between Kubota's shoulder and neck on instinct. Kubota moved his hand from Tokitoh's cheek to his hair and ran his fingers through the damp strands soothingly, over and over again.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" It was more of a statement than a question, and so Tokitoh replied with a muffled sound that was very reminiscent of a 'duh'.

Kubota smiled with an barely audible sigh, and nudged Tokitoh lightly. "You have to shower. I'll make chicken soup."

"Don't wanna."

"Tokitoh," he insisted. The only response he received were Tokitoh's arms wrapping around him in a tight grip. He blinked a couple of times, looking as if he was about to say something, but he slid his free arm over Tokitoh's shoulders and tucked him closer instead.

"If you leave without tellin' me, I'll kick your ass."

"I won't, I won't."

Tokitoh yawned again. He could hear Kubota saying something else -- probably something about needing to buy cold medicine or going shopping for more winter clothes... Whatever it was, his brain simply refused to process it. A small part of him wanted to tell Kubota to shut the hell up and let him sleep, but that seemed like too much effort, and Kubota's voice was starting to sound more and more distant with every passing moment, so there was no need to complain.

Kubota smiled warmly, noticing how Tokitoh's breathing had become slower and even. He took off his glasses, setting them on the arm of the couch, and he reached for the blanket Tokitoh had used the previous night to cover them both with it.

"Well, I suppose I could use some sleep too. It's been two nights, after all," he yawned, and closed his eyes.


End file.
